I really enjoy a psychological thriller and, happily, this one did not disappoint. Intelligently written with engaging fully rounded characters, I was hooked. The story moves along at a satisfactory pace; the two central characters Bloom, the psychologist and Jameson, the ex-intelligence agent turned private investigator are great - lots of potential for development with both their characters and their relationship.

A missing person mystery that soon becomes a lot more sinister - great twists, intelligent dialogue, suspenseful with tense action and plotting.

Definitely a recommended read!

The book is well written and the characters are well built and they have their personal touches.
There are many twist in the story what is makes the story more interesting and misterious, on the other hand sometimes it is not well executed so it is not that suprising that it wants to be.

when Augusta treating the phychopath girl Seraphine, their story about the consultations doesnt have proper end. It is only stops have narrative in the story. Later on Seraphine comes up again in the book from the middle of nowhere and became the main person behind the phsycho game. I did like the idea of Seraphine and Augustas past become the problem of the present, but the two timelines are not goes really along smoothly. could be better.

For me who reads plenty mystery and crime books there were some point, which I was expecting and the end is not that misterious as it wanted to be.

A dark look into the mind of psychopaths helped by Dr Augusta Bloom.

Dr Bloom, a criminal psychologist, and Marcus Jameson, previously Secret Service Agent, have been in practice five years in a consultancy investigation service.

Jameson’s sister, Claire, is looking after Jane. Jane’s mother, Lana, is in the Army and has gone missing.

This story gives clarity and insight into the thoughts of the obsessed and psychologically distorted minds of the people in this story.

Well recommended thriller of this genre.

For real, it’s been so long since a psychological thriller has been both this complex and compelling while also actually scaring me.

Deakin’s writing evokes such suspense and terror, I was on the edge of my seat unable to stop reading. There were twists of fear and anxiety in my stomach while I gasped in surprise. B r i l l i a n t.


Several stories are told in this book, but the main perspectives are Dr Bloom - a renowned psychologist and private investigator (sort of) - and Marcus Jameson, her business partner who is ex-MI6. Very flashy credentials in this one.

People are going missing after receiving first birthday cards daring them to play a game. When one of them is a close family friend of Jameson’s, they dive into the mystery to find out what’s really going on and who is orchestrating such a sophisticated game.


What I really loved about Mind Games is the thorough complexities to the story. Real psychology and real insights, having to think and make sense of real life stuff. I have to give this one 5 stars because for my personal taste in thrillers I really couldn’t fault it.

I was hooked from the very first page. I kept reading and reading, so much so I ended up walking 2,000 more steps than my goal as I wanted to finish the story.

Great characters, thrilling and fab twists and turns. Kept me guessing right to the very end. Brilliant

This book is fantastic!

I really loved the characters, they were all believable and three dimensional.

The pace rips along nicely and keeps you reading long after you should have gone to sleep :)

The plot is unusual and fascinating with tons of twists and "what?!" moments.

I guessed the mastermind pretty early on but rather than spoil my enjoyment of the story it added to the tension.

Easy 5 stars.

This was a terrific read and reminded me in parts of John Marrs The Passengers because of the exploration of ethical dilemmas, who to sacrifice and who to save.
This incredible clever plot follows Dr Augusta Bloom a forensic psychologist working for the criminal justice service along with ex M16 Marcus Jameson, as they work out a theory that psychopaths are playing a very dangerous game involving birthday cards that include a dare. This is how others of the same ilk are recruited to destroy friends, family and the weaker people in society.
It is dark, riveting, twisty and cruel.
I particularly enjoyed finding out the link between the opening treatment of a child accused of stabbing a caretaker with all that followed, but can't say more than that without spoiling the storyline for would-be-readers.
Would definitely recommend if you like psychological thrillers that break the mould.

An intelligent and thought-provoking tale which delves into the minds of psychopaths. Augusta Bloom is a wonderfully complicated woman with insight into the minds of the criminals she comes up against. There were some surprises along the way and an unforeseen twist and I thoroughly enjoyed this thumping good read.

Lana, the mother of teenage Jane disappears. She has before - she is inherently unreliable, unpredictable and had a history of mental health and drug and alcohol issues and a diagnosis of PTSD. However, three other people have also disappeared, and there appears to be commonalities in the circumstances surrounding each disappearance. On their birthday they all received a card asking, no, DARING them to play a game. Then they seem to vanish.

Jane’s family friend Marcus Jameson who happens to be ex-intelligence services seeks to involve his professional partner Dr Augusta Bloom, a psychologist and private investigator in the search for Lana. Dr Bloom is initially ambivalent but develops a theory in relation to the shared characteristics between those missing and she and Jameson work together to convince the police that her theory has basis in both science and fact. Dr Bloom believes these shared characteristics are being manipulated - with what aim?

This story alternates between Dr Bloom’s work with a singular client and the current story. Whilst not wishing to provide a spoiler I found this a little disjointed but I liked the concept and felt it just needed tying together a little more convincingly,

Dr Bloom was believable in her analytical, cool, and measured way and Jameson her flip-side was really likeable however he showed some vulnerabilities that I’m not sure were consistent with his other character traits that were being put forward as exM16.

Mind Games moves at a great pace and will appeal to people who like suspense and psychological thrillers. It is based in a great premise and the question it poses is an interesting talking point (again, don’t want to provide a spoiler). It would seem to be that there will be more Dr Bloom instalments which I think will allow for further development of both main characters.

I enjoyed Mind Games and tended towards 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review will also appear on goodreads and instagram\aplace_inthesun.

A great thriller. Fast paced and exciting and highly gripping. A few shocks along the way too! Loved it

This book surprised me from start to finish I thought it was amazing the way things played out between each character and the ending well there was even more surprises in store for that in my opinion this book should be made into a film I enjoyed it so much

This was a pacy and very twisty book with some extremely interesting characters. Psychologist Augusta Bloom and investigator colleague Marcus Jameson are pulled into a missing person case by Marcus’s sister Claire and discover this is one of many with one thing in common, a trademark birthday card sent to the victim. The Police are initially unconcerned, there is nothing obviously linking the victims however they soon discover the secrets behind the victims facades and from there on in it gets very interesting. This is a very smart book and thought provoking too, it makes you think about just what the people you know are truly like deep down...

A good read. This storyline is different from anything that I have read. The characters were interesting and kept me reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Gone (or Mind Games) by Leona Deakin was a very interesting novel. It revolves around a missing persons case that quite quickly evolves into something much more sinister.

I really enjoy this style of book, but to me it was a little too predictable. I foresaw the ending about halfway through the book. However - I still enjoyed it. It discusses what most psychological thrillers try to do but in much greater detail.

Thriller fans and fans of dark mysteries will enjoy this book.

I see this story in three sections, the beginning was too slow, the middle was exciting and sadly for me, the conclusion was predictable. I love stories where I don’t see the twist and this ended up disappointing me. Therefore I have mixed feelings about this book but I was determined to see it to the end as I was intrigued by the concept of the game and I liked the character of Marcus.

Well this was a thriller with a difference! A nice change to many of the usual formulaic novels currently in the market. Creepy and twisty, I loved it! Didn’t want it to end.

My thanks to NetGalley and Publisher, Random House UK, Transworld, for the ARC.
Oh My - what a unique story-line. This is a rather creepy psychological mystery/thriller. If it's your birthday and you get a shiny card which says 'Your Gift is The Game - Dare to Play' - for goodness sakes - just walk away! However, if you happen to have a particular personality trait you would of course ignore my warning, because you wouldn't be able to resist the challenge!
Dr Augusta Bloom is a psychologist. She has her own private practise and works closely with the police and probation service. She, together with Marcus Jameson - and ex-MI6 operative - work together as an investigative team and have a certain symbiotic relationship. Augusta is highly intelligent, calculative, very private and somewhat cold; Marcus obviously has some affection for her which isn't returned.
When Marcus's sister asks him for a favour - to look into the disappearance of Lana - the mother of teenager Jane, both he and Augusta become drawn into 'The Game'.

Well, it is all rather intriguing as the investigation gets underway, Lana isn't the only person to have disappeared without trace after receiving such a card, but I found the constant musings and deliberations from Augusta extremely tedious, as well as her ability to find a train, just at the right time, going to just the right place, between London and Yorkshire. This kind of confuses things.
Overall, the premise of the story was interesting, if not a little unbelievable, leading to, for me, an unsatisfactory ending..

A fast thriller by a new author Leona Deakin. The book was quite unexpected and different.
The story involved a weird game where people disappeared and only their birthday cards were left behind. Everyone thought it to be a new online game which keep popping up on the internet except Augusta who was a psychologist.
Augusta was strong and gutsy. She asked questions, delved into matters. I liked the way her intelligent mind was shown.
The story read fast, the twists and turns were pretty darn sharp and I read the book for the pure thrill of it. Hence I didn't bother to try to guess the end.
Overall I had fun. And I would read this author again

I really enjoyed this thriller about a sick game recruiting a mixed bunch of people to perform a number of different dares and tasks and a two people trying to stop it all before things get out of hand. It’s a really fast paced read and a different take of a thriller.

A very cleverly written book. Very addictive and with a unique plot. Some good ideas in there and a very good ending. This will keep you addicted right to the end. Definitely worth a read.